News

March 1, 2019

Hello again. I must start off by apologizing; it was probably my fault we had “Snowmageddon”. I usually type these newsletters in the 2nd to 3rd week of the month prior so we have time to edit and get them to our printer. My first paragraph last month suggested that winter was most likely “over”. I follow weather closely and it has always been an interest of mine. When I typed last month’s letter around January 20th or so, there was NOTHING showing up in the long range forecasts for what we just went through…so I apologize for jinxing it! J

That being said, we hope you all were able to make it through without any major issues. The snowy weather is one major reason we urge customers to be on Auto Fill. When things get crazy like that, our #1 priority is to try and get to our Auto Fill customers. Our next priority is customers who are “regular” Will Call customers – those who want to call for fuel, but only buy from us. The 3rd level of priority is customers new to us. They have been with another company, and when things are normal, they see no need to switch; but when the going gets tough, Companies X, Y, and Z can’t or won’t come fill them. We do our best to take care of these folks as well, because we know they will become loyal customers. Our lowest priority is the “price shoppers”. They only buy from us if we are the absolute lowest price. These folks are generally the lowest priority for ALL companies because they have no loyalty. It is easy to price shop when the weather is “normal”, but when it gets cold and we have lots of snow, this is not a good position to be in.

Here at Acme, we strive to always offer competitive prices, with the BEST service of anyone. Even though we work our tails off when it gets like this, and we get exhausted, we cherish these opportunities because it is great “advertising” for us…we take care of our customers! While many places need or choose to close, we step up; this is our time to shine! So, if you were taken care of by Acme, please tell a friend; referrals are the best advertising!

Besides being extremely busy delivering propane and heating oil, our Fast Fuel gas stations had a run on gas, particularly non-ethanol gas. When we saw the storms coming, we filled our tanks, but we literally ran out of fuel. Then with the snow, it was difficult to get reloads coming. We finally did and got back to normal. If you tried fueling and we were out, we apologize. We did the absolute best we could in the circumstance.

As with any extreme event, there are things we can learn from it; so we will be looking at what we can do both business wise and personally to be more prepared. One thing I would suggest is to have fuel for generators filled up before winter hits. This helps prevent the “rush” and the possibility of being out.

Also, it is important to understand that we have literally thousands of customers. While we do our best to take care of every single one, when things get crazy, we must triage. That is, assess which tanks need to be filled first. So if you called and had 30+%, we probably bumped you down the list a bit so we could get to others that were lower still. If we make a special trip for someone who could go several more days, that could risk someone else running out. In addition, our drivers must triage. They must assess if they can get into, and more importantly, out of a driveway. If they take an unnecessary risk and get stuck or worse yet, wreck a truck, that can jeopardize our other customers from getting filled.

Well, this newsletter has been far too long; but we had so much to discuss! I hope this helps you all understand a bit more how we operate. If you have more questions or want more information, feel free to give me a call…360-943-1133.

February 1, 2019

February….I can’t believe I just typed that! Here in Western Washington, February is generally the last month of “winter”. Sure we can get a skiff of snow here and there in March or even April, but nothing major. As I type this, there doesn’t appear to be any really cold weather on the horizon. The Midwest and East Coast are getting that. So, we will probably escape this winter (a mild El Nino), without any significant snow. That may please some and make others boo! It is what it is….

That being said, we have had a few wind storms. So, if you lost power during any of those and you have a propane generator, please check the level in your tank. While we can track Heating Degree Days for your heating and hot water usage, we don’t know who has lost power.

Piggy backing on the above, we do have an option of putting a fuel monitor on your tank. It sends us your fuel level in real time. These are great for folks who are either heavy users, inconsistent users (generators, vacation home, etc.), or situations where you absolutely can’t run out of fuel. Give us a call for more information.

Well for me, February is usually the month I have to start mowing my grass. So make sure you are prepared with non-ethanol fuel from one of our Fast Fuel stations! It is the ONLY type of gas you should use in your lawn mower, weed eater, hedge trimmer, etc.

Finally, Fast Fuel Customers….Do you need a year end fuel summary for tax purposes? If so, contact Allison here in our office and she can prepare one for you. Her email is adumas@acmefuel.com.

December 5, 2018

Happy Holidays! The year continues to fly by! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As I write this, it was another very frosty morning in the 20’s….Brrr! We’ve been busy filling up propane and heating oil tanks. If you are not on Automatic Refill, you should really consider it. There is no extra cost for this service, you always get first priority on refills, and if you have an emergency or overtime delivery, there is no extra cost! If you are on will call and need an overtime or emergency fill, there are extra fees involved. So, it is definitely worth considering!

Another thing to consider is receiving email statements and/or ACH billing. Again, there is no extra cost for this, in fact you save money. If you sign up for both email and ACH, not only are you saving paper, you always get the 5 cents per gallon discount. So it is a win-win!

We recently did a complete update of our website. If you haven’t yet seen it, check it out!

There is lots of great information and a cool video as well. Just go to www.acmefuel.com. If for some reason it still looks like the old site, you just need to clear the cache in your web browser.

Lastly, check out the back of this newsletter for a promotion from our partners at Capital Heating and Cooling!

November 1, 2018

Did you know that the Acme Fuel office has been at the same address (416 State Ave NE) since the very beginning in 1925? The original office was one small room (smaller than a “tiny house”) and it was brought in on a flatbed trailer.
Read More “Newsletter – November 2018”

August 27, 2018

Acme Fuel will be walking as a group in the South Sound Alzheimers Walk on Sunday September 16th at Heritage Park to help fight Alzheimers. Come walk with us, see our purple Alzheimers truck that donates a penny for every gallon it delivers and help us fight this terrible disease. More information can be found at https://www.southsoundalzheimerscouncil.org/walk/

August 27, 2018

Our Acme Fuel employees recently pooled together $200 of their own money which Acme Fuel matched and gave a $400 Safeway gift card to a family whose Mom just gave birth and was immediately diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Acme Fuel also filled their propane tank for no charge. Acme Fuel knows that family is important and we do what we can to help those that are in need of assistance.

July 3, 2018

October 17, 2017

It was like a scene from Attack of the Killer Bees. Unsuspecting Acme Fuel driver Mike Phillips was on a routine delivery call and making his way to the tank when he stepped on a hornets’ nest. “I looked down and my feet were a blur,” says Phillips. “I took off running and jumped in my truck.”
Read More “Acme Fuel Helps Customers Get Ready for Winter”